


Touches

by theprydonian_archivist



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Episode: s03e13 Last of the Time Lords, Introspection, M/M, Year That Never Was
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-15
Updated: 2011-05-15
Packaged: 2018-07-15 00:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7198832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprydonian_archivist/pseuds/theprydonian_archivist
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every touch hurts a little more, but he can't stop himself from touching.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Touches

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Versaphile, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [The Prydonian](http://fanlore.org/wiki/The_Prydonian). Deciding that it needed to have a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in June 2016. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact the e-mail address on [The Prydonian collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/theprydonian/profile).

Every touch hurts him a little more, but he can't stop touching. He knows that this small pat on the knee and that gripping of the shoulder will be met with a wince, a shudder, a grimace. He can feel the Doctor's disgust at every move he makes and hates it so much, but he can't help himself. He needs to touch, to assure himself that this is real.   
Because it's hard to accept this life where he has the Doctor, real and alive and close to him, always so close. Where he can touch whenever he wants to.  
But soon the touches become more violent. A punch, a kick, grabbing his hair and dragging him around. As soon as the novelty wears off he can't help but notice the disgust, and he needs to give the Doctor a reason to hate him. A reason to flinch away from his touch other than the disgust he's so afraid of.   
And then, finally, he stops touching altogether. He lets his human lackeys do the work so he doesn't have to touch the Doctor. Every touch hurts him a little bit more.  
 And then everything is loud and quiet and loud again, and somehow he finds himself dying in the Doctor's arms, and the Doctor is screaming and crying. And the Doctor is touching him, clutching him without a trace of disgust, like some tiny part of his mind has finally made the connection between Koschei and this man who is dying. The one he would touch and the one he hated to be touched by.  
Even as he dies, he feels the Doctor's warm hearts beating right next to his cheek. He smiles.  
"What do you know?" He whispers. "I win."

* * *

This is my first published fic, critiques welcome.


End file.
